Loaded: Money and the Spirituality of Enough

by Heather King

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
– Matthew 6:19 – 21

In a culture sickened by materialism, gluttony and greed of all kinds, the Gospel’s call to live simply and to share abundantly is more pressing than ever. For many of us, voluntary poverty is an ideal. But to be voluntarily poor—as opposed to the pendulum swings of overspending, underearning and pathological self-deprivation that can dictate our lives—we have to be rich in trust and love, if not in money.

In Money and the Spirituality of Enough, lawyer-turned-writer Heather King shares her own recovery around money as well as the stories of others who have worked to reverse self-defeating patterns and move on to a healthy, mindful relationship with money. In an approach that’s very much informed by Jesus’s many words on the subject, she offers simple, proactive and transformative steps you can take to heed the Gospel’s call in your own life. The language of Loaded will be familiar to those in recovery for addictions of various kinds, and easily accessible to those who aren’t. Wherever you fall on the spectrum between freedom and bondage around money, these stories and tools will help. And the underlying principles—clarity, honesty, the confluence of will and grace—apply in every area of our lives.

Unlike so many money books, Loaded is not about how to make more and consume more. It’s about how to detach from the idea that our identity could possibly lie in how much or how little money we have.

It’s about discovering that money is a means of love and service. And it’s about following the deepest desires of your heart—and discovering that the real economy is, “As you give, so shall you receive.”

Genres: Finance

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2016

About the author

Heather King is an essayist, memoirist, and blogger. Raised on the coast of New Hampshire, she struggled with alcoholism for many years, got sober in 1987, and converted to Catholicism in 1996.

She is the author of nine books of essay and memoir, and has recorded over 30 slice-of-life commentaries for National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

She also speaks nationwide, writes a weekly arts and culture column for “Angelus,” the archdiocesan newspaper of LA, and a monthly column on unsung saints for “Magnificat” magazine.

Her work, which she roughly defines as "the tragicomedy of the cross," ranges in subject from addiction to vocational crises, conversion, food, money, cancer, unrequited love, prayer and healing from abortion.

She lives in Pasadena, CA. For more info and her blog, visit Heather King: Mystery, Smarts, Laughs.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far and away the best book on underearning out there full of solid advice, examples, and exercises. Have been reading (and writing) about childhood trauma's effect on the body and one's later life and $ was the next logical area to look. Highly recommended.

[Dennis Miller]

Liked the book. Never heard of an under earner before but when I read about it did fit me. Really got me thinking about how I earn and spend my money.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book, but it is too disorganized for me. I read a good chunk of it and still wouldn't have known the basic premise if I hadn't read the dust jacket.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE Heather King. This had its good points, but I also felt like it was kind of all-over-the-place. And, sometimes the information seemed to contradict itself. The major takeaway for me: have extreme clarity around money. Don't maintain a blissful, vague fogginess around where your money is going (me), and how much you're earning. Also, try not to under-earn. Some things to ponder.

Thanks, Heather!

[Jamie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick and wisdom-filled read. I highlighted quite a few passages to return to later.

Many of the book's main themes are familiar from my involvement with the same 12-step program related to money & self-worth that the author mentions. Since many people who could benefit from the program's wisdom will never attend a meeting, I'm glad this book and others like it are accessible.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley. It was disappointing. The premise was good but the execution fell flat. It was too disorganized with too many tangents and non sequiturs. The book focused less on money and spirituality and more on the author's life and the life of people she knew. It was far more memoir than treatise. Skip this book and read The Christian Wallet instead.